Difference between revisions of "Research/Web-to-print/WeasyPrint"
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* Pandoc converts seamlessly to LaTex. | * Pandoc converts seamlessly to LaTex. | ||
* Supports page numbers, hyphenation, bibliography, references, hyperlinks, etc, etc... | * Supports page numbers, hyphenation, bibliography, references, hyperlinks, etc, etc... | ||
* Can produce more experimental and generative outputs. <ref name="lakfon">See works by [http://research.lafkon.net/ Lafkon studio] for an idea of the possibilities. | * Can produce more experimental and generative outputs. <ref name="lakfon">See works by [http://research.lafkon.net/ Lafkon studio] for an idea of the possibilities</ref>. | ||
===negative aspects=== | ===negative aspects=== | ||
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===positive aspects=== | ===positive aspects=== | ||
* Uses HTML and CSS to layout the PDF | * Uses HTML and CSS to layout the PDF | ||
* Supports features like page size, page numbering, hyphenation in several languages <ref name="hyp">With the [http://pyphen.org/ pyphen library])</ | * Supports features like page size, page numbering, hyphenation in several languages <ref name="hyp">With the [http://pyphen.org/ pyphen library])</ref> | ||
* Resulting PDFs can achieve high level of complexity, with simple instructions | * Resulting PDFs can achieve high level of complexity, with simple instructions | ||
* Simple and easy to use | * Simple and easy to use | ||
Revision as of 18:26, 25 November 2015
Print in hybrid publishing workflows
Print products = bottleneck in hybrid publishing workflows
Screens in pages represent different paradigms
- Instead of reflowable text, continuous space, variable screen size
- Page: a fixed space
The translation of layouts for screen to page layouts, within is not trivial.
HTML-to-print Tools
LaTex
A type-setting/document preparation language, focused on producing typographicaly correct PDFs.
positive aspects
- LaTex is a markup language;
- Pandoc converts seamlessly to LaTex.
- Supports page numbers, hyphenation, bibliography, references, hyperlinks, etc, etc...
- Can produce more experimental and generative outputs. [1].
negative aspects
- Outputs are by default look academic, although this can be changed
- Use is outmoded
- Styling is defined by packages imported into the document, which is very different and incompatible with CSS.
- A difficult tool to work with, let alone to teach.
Browser built-in pdf rendering
Current browsers have built-in pdf rendering engines. By using the browser function «Print to file» and CSS rules for print, print layouts can be created from HTML files.
positive aspects
- relies on the same set of technologies - HTML, CSS and JS - as other hybrid publishing formats: webpages, ePubs, apps
- it is simple, easily to teach
- CSS includes page specific options:
@media pagerule, and the pseudo-classes:first :left :right @bottom-left
negative aspects
- works poorly and inconsistently
- requires a lot of trial-and-error to achieve the desired output, with results differing widely across browsers and versions
* difficult to avoid page breaks breaking and hiding content.
show example
Desktop publishing software
Software such as Scribus and inDesign can be incorporated into an HP workflow.
Scribus can import HTML files and inDesign ICML(XML)files. Both formats keep their structure when imported and can remain updatable.
positive aspects
- allows direct feedback between operations and their effects
- graphic designers are familiar their workflows
- can produce complex PDFs with impositions, hyphenation, page numbers. etc
- can intervene in almost all aspects of the document
negative aspects
- to keep the content updatable operations (in inDesign) interventions on content are not possible
- complex structures, like large tables, are difficult to handle, while keeping content updatable (in inDesign)
Weasy Print
Weasy Print (WP) [2]
is a visual rendering engine for HTML and CSS that can export to PDF.
Its CSS layout engine is written in Python, but employs several libraries.
positive aspects
- Uses HTML and CSS to layout the PDF
- Supports features like page size, page numbering, hyphenation in several languages [3]
- Resulting PDFs can achieve high level of complexity, with simple instructions
- Simple and easy to use
- Can be used as a Python library or as a standalone program
- Free software (BSD license)
negative aspects
- Can be difficult to install, due to its dependencies
- It does not support CSS custom fonts
- No support for folded formats, such as booklets: no mechanism for imposition
What is Weasy Print
Weasy Print (WP) is
Testing Weasy Print
references
- ↑ See works by Lafkon studio for an idea of the possibilities
- ↑ “WeasyPrint Documentation” http://weasyprint.org/docs/.
- ↑ With the pyphen library)
